Stalk cutting apparatus



May 24, 1932. s w MCBIRNEY 1,859,783

sTALK CUTTING APPARATUS Filed DBG. 5. 1929 Patented May 2,4, 1,932

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE STANLEY W. MCBIRNEY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO;DEDICATEDLBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STALK CUTTING APPARATUS iApplicationled December 3, 1929. Serial No. 411,293.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 370 0.G. 757) This application is made under the act approved April 30, 1928,and the invention herein described, may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

The purpose of this machine is to shave or out 0E stalks of corn orother similar row crops near (slightly above or below) the groundsurface. Morel specifically its purpose is for shaving olf old, dried"cornstalks either in the late fall or spring preparatory to raking andburning them, or removing them from the field.

In the control of certain insects such as the European corn borer, onemethod is the destruction by burning of the cornstalks in which theover-wintering borer larvae are hibernating. Another method is theutilization of the old stalks for paper pulp, wall board pulp, and othersuch products. In certain farm practices it is desirable or essentialthat the old cornstalks either be burned or removed from the field. Thefirst operation in carrying out any of these practices is the severingof the stalks from the ground preparatory to raking. This two-row,one-horse, cart-type stalk shaver is designed to perform this severingoperation.

The shaver can also be used for cutting green corn for fodder orensilage, though an attachment would be necessary if theV stalks were tobe caught and left in bunches or bundled. By changing the width of themain frame to adapt it to the width of rows, the machine can also beused for shaving olf other row crops such as sorghums or soy beans.

Essentially the shaver consists of a twowheeled cart from the main frameof which is suspended a floating knife frame, pivoted so that it is freeto oscillate slightly, which in turn carries two knives, one on eitherside. The knives are so spaced and their height can be so adjusted thateach cuts or shaves off one row of stalks at or near the ground surface.

The same shaving mechanism consisting of knives, iioating knife framepivoted on a central axis, hanger arm suspension and lever adjustmentcan be used on a shaver of greater capacity such as a three or four-rowshaver. On the accompanying drawings, Fig. lis a plan view of theapparatus, with the seat omitted; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thecomplete apparatus.

Referring to drawings, it will be seen that a pair of shafts S-B boltedto the frame B-A and the cross member S-VD, together with the sidebraces 6-A and -B, the corner braces S-Gr, the frame corner braces B-Cand the lever support 4-E, make up the main frame of the shaver. A pairof wheels 5-F, mounted on axle G-G, carries the weight of the machineand driver, who rides on the seat 5-Gr, supported by spring 5`H which isbolted to the frame. Y

The knife frame made up of the knife runners 5-D and 5--E, and the twocross mem# bers l-A, is pivoted on the longitudinal shaft 4 1?, which issuspended from the main frame by the four hanger arms QT-F. The

front pair of hanger arms are pivotedV to the single tree cross memberB-D by means of brackets G-F and the rear pair to the channel frame bymeans of the brackets 6 1). rlhe lower ends of each pair of hanger armsare pivoted to the knife frame shaft by means of the two joints L -Hheldin place on the shaft by cotter keys.

The suspensionof the knife frame is such that when it is lifted itswings back slightly, the shaft always remaining Vparallel to the shafts3-B. The angle between the shaft on which the knife frame is mounted andthe bottom of the knife runners is the same as the angle between theshafts when hitched to the sides of the average height horse and theground surface. The result is that the bottom of the knife runners, aswell as the knives A-5l attached to the runners, always remain parallelto the ground surface, regardless of the height at which the knives areset. Extra holes at the rear ofthe knife runners where they are boltedto the rear cross member of the knife frame provide a means of changingthe angle between the knife frame shaft and the bottom of the kniferunner when necessaryto keep the bottom of the runner parallel with theground surface` if the height of hitch of the shafts is changed as withlarger or smaller horses.

The knife frame being pivoted on the shaft is free to oscillate to acertain extent on this shaft. vThis freedom to swing from side to sideallows both 4knives to remain on the ground and level even though themain frame for a tinieinay not be level crosswise, due to one wheelgoing over a bump, riding a ridge or following a deep track. VThisarrangement prevents one blade from digging into the ground excessivelyTWhile the other is cutting the stalks above the ground surface.

The height at which the knives are set is regulated by' the leverVassembly Ll-D, l-G, -A and 5G working on segment he@ the whole beingmounted on the lever supporting member l-aE. The lever is connected tothe knife frame by the slotted link A compression spring l5-L on lthislink bears against the lower end of the lever and against the joint onthe knife frame shaft, thus holding the blades down firmly against theground surface, but allowing them to float up or down slightly to allowfor uneveness of the ground.

The knives are bent up at an angle at their forward fend giving a flatsurface to bolt against the side of the knife runner. The front one ofthe two holes used forbolting the blades to the knife runner is slottedthereby allowing the rear 'end of the blade to be raised or loweredsomewhat to allow for variations in height ofhitch of the shafts at thesides of the horse. The bend in the blade is so made that the blademakes a BO-degree angle with the lineI of travel and thje angle 'betweenthe plane of the face of the blade andthe ground level is 11 to 1.2degrees. The cuttingedge of the blade is beveled on the under side,thebeveled surface being horizontal as used in operation. The cuttingedgeis serrated 'als shown in the top View of the drawings,though if theshaver were being used 'on green, succulent stalks a blade with a smoothcutting edge can be used and is nearly as effective as the serratedblade.

I claim:

l. A stalk cutting apparatus comprising a cart, alongitudinal shaftpivotally supported by said cart, a rectangular knife frame piv yo'tallysupported on the shaft, whereby the knife frame becomes a floatingmember, a knife attached 'to each side of the floating knife frame 'andhaving one end extending outwardly from said knife frame and a leveradjustment associate-d with said knife frame to control the height of'the knives from the ground-said apparatus bei-ng adapted for operatioinbetween two rows lof stalks and the cutting of both vrowssimultaneously. I

'2. A stalk cutting 'apparatus comprising a main rectangular frame, anaxle attached to said main frame, wheels supporting the axle, shaftsattached vto said a'Xle and main frame, longitudinal shaft pivotally'supported by adjustment associated with said knife frameto control theheight Yof the knives from the ground, said apparatus being adapted foroperation between two rows of stalks and the Cutting of both rowssimultaneously.

3. In a stalk cutting apparatus the combination with a cart of a levercontrolled suspended pivoted floating knife frame equipped with knives,comprising a longitudinal shaft pivotally supported by the cart, arectangular knife frame pivotally supported 'on the shaft whereby theknife frame becomes a floating member, a knife attached to each side ofsaid floating knife frame and having 'one lend eX- tending outwardlyfrom said knife frame and a lever adjustment associated with said knifeframe to control the height ofthe knives from the ground, said apparatusbeing adapted for operation between two rows of stalks and the cuttingofboth rqws simultaneously.

STANLEY W. MCBIRNEY.

